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Get to Know Kentucky’s New Quarterback Devin Leary

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N.C. State Athletics

In 2020, Liam Coen brought in a relatively unknown quarterback from Penn State, Will Levis. In two seasons at Kentucky, Levis developed into one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.

With Coen’s return all but confirmed, the Kentucky football team has found their quarterback for next season, this time with a higher profile. On Tuesday, Devin Leary, the No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal (247Sports) announced his commitment to play for the Wildcats over the likes of Auburn, Florida, and others.

Now that we know who will be under center, let’s learn more about him.

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Devin Leary

  • Height: 6-foot-1
  • Class: Redshirt Senior (1 year of eligibility remaining)
  • Weight: 215 lbs.
  • Position: Quarterback
  • Hometown: Sicklerville, NJ
  • Recruit Rankings: HS: ★★★★ No. 16 Pro-Style QB; Transfer: ★★★★ No. 1 QB

Originally a part of the 2018 recruiting class, Leary was a fringe four-star quarterback that ultimately committed to NC State over the likes of Baylor, Iowa, and Minnesota among others. Kentucky even expressed some interest, but never offered a scholarship.

Making the decision to redshirt his freshman season, Leary’s chance finally came in the middle of his redshirt freshman campaign. Due to injuries and poor QB play, NC State made the decision to start Leary in the final five games of the season.

Leary performed well enough to become the Wolfpack’s expected starting QB in 2020. However, missed crucial practice time after being quarantined, and then suffered a fractured fibula after being named the starter in week three.

Leary didn’t really have his breakout season until 2021, when he was named a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award after throwing for 3,433 yards, 35 TDs, and just 5 interceptions.

His program-record-setting season put Leary’s name amongst the top tier of college football QBs and in 2022 was picked as ACC Preseason Player of the Year. Through six games, Leary led NC State to a 5-1 record and a top 15 ranking. However, his season ended after undergoing surgery on a torn pectoral muscle.

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What is Kentucky getting with Leary? A proven and experienced quarterback that makes quick decisions and takes care of the football. At one point, Leary had thrown 228 straight passes without an INT before a hail mary in 2021.

Despite having average athleticism and size, Leary is considered to have some of the best mechanics in college football and delivers accurate passes consistently. While he may not have the NFL ceiling as Levis has, Leary has proven more at the college level than Levis did.

While some question his injury, it is important to note that if Leary didn’t have that injury and was in the portal, Kentucky may not have gotten him. Bigger schools would have been willing to write a blank check to get him.

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Cutter Boley Opens up on Playing for Kentucky, “This Is Where My Heart’s Always Been”

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Four-star quarterback prospect Cutter Boley signing with Kentucky football.
© Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the early National Signing Day for the class of 2024 being over, Kentucky’s newest signed quarterback Cutter Boley discusses why he committed to play at Kentucky.

“Just growing up in the state, you know, I’ve grown up a fan I feel like this is where my heart’s always been, and just the offense that Liam Coen runs and the job coach (Mark) Stoops does as head coach is phenomenal and I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else,” Boley tells Kentucky Insider.

Kentucky needed to get some quarterbacks after three players either graduated or transferred with Devin Leary graduating, Destin Wade transferring to Colorado, and Kaiya Sheron electing to transfer as well.

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Kentucky was able to load up in the quarterback room by landing the Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff, Georgia Southern transfer Beau Allen, and then signing Boley in the class of 2024. Boley is ready to compete against them and he recognizes their talent.

“I couldn’t be any more excited to learn from them. They’re two really good quarterbacks, like I said, and they’ll have countless things to teach me from the places they’ve been and the offense that they’ve been in,” Boley tells us. “I just can’t wait to learn the things they know and just be able to work and get to work with them.”

One of the reasons why Boley committed to Kentucky is due to him having a connection since he has lived here his whole life.

“Just growing up in the state, you know, I’ve grown up a fan I feel like this is where my heart’s always been, and just the offense that Liam Coen runs and the job coach (Mark) Stoops does as head coach is phenomenal and I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else,” said Boley.

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As for finally signing his National Letter of Intent, Boley feels relieved to have it finished.

“It’s definitely a relief to finally put the pen to paper and make it official,” said Boley. “It’s been a long time coming so I couldn’t be any more excited about my decision and where I’m going to be for the next four years.”

What Boley is most focused on is how the offense is run, as at this time he feels like his play style is made to play professionally.

“I’m really hoping to develop into that pro-style quarterback, but I feel like I’m definitely a pro-style quarterback right now, but really develop into just being able to play in that offense at a very high level and get really comfortable in the offense, and I just want to develop all parts of my game and really be a quarterback that the NFL looks for and that type of quarterback they want to have,” Boley tells us.

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With Kentucky having a chance to develop within instead of the transfer route, fans will have a chance to see a quarterback finally develop into potentially starting in the future.

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Kentucky Freshman Hayes Johnson Always Wanted to Play for Kentucky, “I Sure Wasn’t Going to Turn It Down

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UK Athletics

Kentucky is looking to get back to the Big Blue Wall days and what is a better way than recruiting in-state players to beef it back up? The Wildcats were able to get both Aba Selm and Hayes Johnson to commit to Kentucky with both being from the state and it was a big get.

When it came to Johnson’s recruitment, he had his mind made up that he wanted to play for the Kentucky Wildcats and he will be able to do that come this fall.

“I mean honestly, it is just kind of like what I said when I committed, it is just one of the things that I dreamed of doing since I was a little kid,” Johnson tells KYInsider. “I got the opportunity, and I sure wasn’t going to turn it down.”

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With him being from Kentucky he knows it will be a special moment for him to be able to put on the jersey and play inside Kroger Field.

“It’s just immense pride,” Johnson says. “I mean I take so much pride in the University and to be able to represent not only the University of Kentucky but the state of Kentucky and the people, and the people in my hometown, and plenty of other towns like this across the state. It’s truly amazing.”

For a while now, everyone has had big dreams for the Kentucky football program and that is to make it to Atlanta and compete for the SEC Championship and that is no stranger to Johnson at all.

“I mean personally, I mean, I’ve been a Kentucky fan all of my life, and I know what we all want,” Johnson tells us. “We all want to go to Atlanta, I mean that’s really it, to get to work and get to Atlanta.”

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His goals for Atlanta will begin in January as that is when he plans to enroll at Kentucky and it sounds like he is ready to get to work and step foot on to campus very soon.

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Kentucky Football Signing Day Recap

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The Kentucky Wildcats have signed their 2024 recruiting class.
© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday was National Signing Day and Mark Stoops and the Kentucky football program were pleasantly surprised to land as much talent as they did, finishing 25th in the high school rankings and standing 7th in the transfer portal rankings. Between elite high school talent and highly sought-out transfers, UK got who they wanted and then some. Here’s a little bit about some of Kentucky’s top signees.

Georgia, QB Brock Vandagriff

Kentucky already got a look at Brock Vandagriff in Kentucky’s 51-13 loss to Georgia. The now redshirt junior threw for 46 yards and a touchdown, completing five out of seven passes against the Wildcats. According to folks close to the Bulldogs program, it was neck-and-neck for the starting job with Carson Beck this past season. Liam Coen got his guy.

Ohio State, RB Chip Trayanum

With 85 total reps this season as the Buckeyes’ backup back, Chip Trayanum ran for 373 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Kentucky has had a great lineage at the RB position (especially as of late), and the signing of Trayanum means that there’s a chance Kentucky adds to their list of great RBs.

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Georgia, LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson

Having Brock Vandagriff has paid dividends in recruiting. All-American Jamon Dumas-Johnson joins Vandagriff on the move from Athens to Lexington. Dumas-Johnson’s 2023 season would end on November 4th as he broke his arm against Missouri. The senior finished this season with 34 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

Westerville North HS (OH), Edge Brian Robinson

Brian Robinson has a chance at being an impact contributor immediately for Kentucky. With the departure of Keaten Wade, the four-star recruit will compete for snaps all season long. Robinson has a super high motor and elite hands on top of incredible strength. Just an absolute workhorse.

Lexington Christian Academy (KY), QB Cutter Boley

Cutter Boley will play backup to Brock Vandagriff while being mentored by Beau Allen. Boley has a lot of talent and experience around him as he develops. However, Boley is already a solid player at the QB spot. He knows when to make the right pass and seems to always be on the dot. Can’t ask more from a QB.

Corbin HS (KY), OLB Jacob Smith & DL Jerod Smith

The Smith twins are going to be superstars in the blue and white. If there are any people who were born and raised to play Kentucky football, it’s the Smith twins. Both players have high motors just like Robinson, but they have tremendous footwork as well. It’s clear that Mark Stoops has a certain mold of player he wants on his team. Big, shifty, and overpowering, and the Smith twins are just that.

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